Desert Dweller

I walk, no run,
down the street,
past businesses and homes,
amidst traffic and noise,
barking dogs, mowers
raging against helpless grass.

I run
past machinery
belching petrochemical smoke,
past containers
brimming with refuse
destined for the toxic wasteland.

I run, not away
from tall buildings
and tall walls,
but toward the open sky,
toward mountains on the horizon.

I run toward a place
where I can hear birdsong
and the singing wind, 
a place where
I can hear my own thoughts
and the voice of the universe.


© 2025 Bruno Talerico
Stafford challenge day 73/365.